


Solution

by thesoundofnat



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-25 22:02:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3826582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoundofnat/pseuds/thesoundofnat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve loves both Tony and Bucky, and they both love him, and it’s all just a big confusing mess until they come up with the right solution.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Solution

**Author's Note:**

> These three idiots are my ot3 and I wanna write them forever. Hence, polyamorous Tony, Steve and Bucky.
> 
> Warnings: Oooone tiny little swearword as well as indications of sex, but like I think your innocence will be okay.
> 
> No spoilers for Age of Ultron, just to be clear.
> 
> Also posted on my tumblr: thesoundofnat.tumblr.com and can someone PLEASE tell me how I add actual links to this thing
> 
> Enjoy the story!

Steve never knew something so good could leave him so confused. To be fair, lots of things in this century gave him mixed feelings, but he’d never had thought that any part of his old life would be added into it.

But then he, Nat and Sam had to fight the Winter Soldier, and when Steve saw his face for the first time, he couldn’t pinpoint what he was feeling. That was Bucky, his Bucky, who had gone through so much to become this brainwashed killing machine. His Bucky whom Steve had sworn to protect the very moment he became Captain America.

How he had failed him. The revelation left Steve in a numb state for days, until eventually he snapped and cried his eyes out because he had failed every single person he’d ever loved.

The only person who he allowed to comfort him was the one he constantly failed. Tony, who had such a gentle heart, despite what people said about him. Tony, who just wanted to make the world a better place, but happened to always choose the wrong path. Tony, who was the only damn thing that gave Steve hope when he felt too lost to continue. But as Steve clung to him, he was failing him. Tony deserved someone better, but Steve was so selfish that he couldn’t find it in him to walk away. Not now. Not yet.

Things had been good. They really had. They hadn’t clicked immediately, but once they did, Steve started feeling something he never thought he’d ever feel again. He’d felt it with Bucky, he’d felt it with Peggy, and now, finally, he was feeling it with Tony. And Tony was feeling it too, and unlike the previous occurrences, things had time to evolve, and Steve soon found himself pressed to Tony, their lips attached and bodies naked. Their souls naked. And things were good.

But now, when Bucky was suddenly back in his life, Steve wasn’t sure what to do. Neither was Tony.

And when Bucky’s memories were restored and he wasn’t a dangerous killing machine anymore, but just same old Bucky, things were back to good. For a while, at least. Steve was happy to have his friend back. Tony was happy that Steve was happy. Everyone was just happy.

But then Tony started distancing himself, and Steve knew that was a bad sign. It had taken him everything to bring Tony out of his shell. If he was willingly inching himself back into it, Steve might as well have lost him forever.

So he fought. Fought and fought and fought to show Tony that he loved him. Tony said he believed him, and something in his tone made Steve think he was telling the truth. But Tony kept vanishing.

In the meantime, Bucky was reappearing. It felt good to be able to reconnect, especially when Bucky finally started letting loose after having been on guard for months on end. It felt so good, but Steve felt a constant ache inside of him; a Tony-shaped hole tearing his heart apart. He was getting his friend back, but losing his love instead. Steve honestly didn’t know what to feel anymore. Fate must hate him.

Out of all people, Bucky was the first one to acknowledge it.

“You don’t have to do this,” he told him one evening.

Steve looked up from the other end of the couch, blinking slowly. “Do what?”

“Spend time with me.”

Steve frowned. “What?”

“I know your relationship with Tony is on the line because of me. You don’t have to be with me for old time’s sake, you know.”

“I happen to have missed you a lot, so I’m going to spend as much time with you as I want to,” Steve snapped back. “And if Tony has a problem with it, so be it.”

“You love him.”

Steve didn’t reply. Hearing that come out of Bucky’s mouth felt wrong, and he didn’t know why.

Neither of them said another word for the rest of the night.

...

If having Bucky confront him like that was bad, it was no match compared to how he felt when Tony did it.

“You don’t have to pretend to still want to be with me.”

“But I want to be with you,” Steve said, his voice breaking because this could not be happening.

Tony shook his head. “You wanted to be with me before he came back into your life. I get it. I understand that things have changed.”

“I wish people could just stop assuming they know how I feel,” Steve said coldly. “I’m not hiding anything. I want to be with you.”

“But-”

“Tony.” Something in Steve’s voice made Tony shut his mouth abruptly. “Tony, I love him.”

Tony didn’t reply, just set his jaw.

“But I love you, too.” It was the first time Steve said it. He had hoped for the setting to be different, but it didn’t feel wrong to say it. “I love you.”

“Fuck, Steve, I love you, too, but I don’t know if I can compete with-”

“You don’t have to.”

And he didn’t, really, but it didn’t change the fact that Steve loved Bucky, and Bucky loved Steve, and Tony loved Steve, and Steve loved Tony, and everything was just one big tangled mess, but right now Steve couldn’t take any of it and just threw himself at Tony, pressing their lips together. Thinking could wait. Everything could wait.

…

Steve tried to spend the same amount of time with both of them, but it proved to be hard when he spent every night beside Tony and not Bucky. Bucky said he didn’t mind, but there was a sadness in his eyes. Steve wished he could kiss it away. He really did.

To their credit, Tony and Bucky started becoming more friendly with each other, and they could eventually all hang out as if nothing was looming in their hearts. As if life was normal for once.

As Steve watched Tony crack up at something Bucky said, he couldn’t help but to ache. He was letting them both down, as usual. He hated it. Hated that everything had to be so complicated.

“Steve?” He looked up at Tony’s voice to find them both looking at him, worry painted on their faces. “You okay?”

“I-yeah, yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

“You spaced out for a moment and…” Tony trailed off.

“And it didn’t look like you were having pleasant thoughts,” Bucky finished for him.

Steve inhaled sharply through his nose. “I just wish… I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I don’t know.” He covered his face with his hands. “Why can’t I love you both without hurting you?”

No one replied. Figured.

…

However, Steve got his reply a few days later.

Tony rushed up to where he was sitting with Bucky in the living room, huffing and panting and all but bouncing with excitement.

“I have a solution,” he announced. “At least if everyone’s up for it.”

Steve and Bucky exchanged a look.

“What sort of solution?” Bucky asked warily.

“Well,” Tony said, dragging out the word. “Ever heard of polyamory?”

“Poly...what?”

“It means ‘many love’. Basically, it’s a relationship with more than two people. As long as everyone’s in on it, you can have several lovers.”

“And how will that help us?” Steve asked in confusion before it dawned on him. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“You...you sure? You’d do that for me?”

Tony shrugged. “I...might find Bucky a bit more attractive than what I’ve let on.”

Bucky raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I...wow. Same,” was all he was able to get out.

Steve was now very confused. “Wha-”

“What I’m proposing,” Tony said, cutting him off. “is that, since we all find each other attractive, we could maybe make this a threesome. Bucky and I could start building up a relationship while still being with you. Everyone will be happy.”

Steve exhaled. “I can’t believe you’d do that for me.”

“I can see the three of us working. That is, if Bucky agrees.”

“I do.”

“See? He’s ready to marry us.”

Steve huffed out a laugh. “This is surreal.”

“And?”

“And wonderful. Just...thank you.”

Tony grinned. “Now let’s all kiss and make it official.”

The actual kissing was messy and giggly, but oh so amazing. As Steve found himself lying on the bed between his two boyfriends - it felt so weird to think of it like that, but still so great - he couldn’t help but smile into the darkness as Bucky clung onto him on one side, and Tony on the other. It wasn’t that confusing, after all. They just hadn’t thought of the right solution until now.


End file.
